Tag Archives: olive oil

Book Reviews, FARM

Cato’s PASTURE & lIVESTOCK

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Pastures:

Manure the pasture in early spring in the dark of the moon, when the west wind begins to blow. When you close your pastures (to the stock) clean them and root out all the weeds.

(this is what i’m doing with my total grazing scheme – it is very much easier to snip out those little tree sprouts once the grass around them is fully grazed down. Treat the stump with a bit of Tordon RTU and slowly one can regain clean and productive grass pastures.)

Feeding Livestock:

  1. as long as available, feed green leaves of elm, poplar, oak, and fig to cattle and sheep
  2. Store leaves (before withered) to feed sheep (maybe ensilage?)
  3. Store up dry fodder for winter
  4. Build feed racks in such manner to avoid wastage
  5. Feed a measure of soaked grains or grape husks (preserved in jars) each night along with 25 lbs of hay. Offer higher quality and quantity to those steers which are being prepared to work fields.
  6. Nothing is more profitable than to take good care of your cattle.
  7. Keep flocks and herds well supplied with litter to keep their feet clean. Watch for scab which comes from hunger and exposure to rain.
  8. Anoint oxen feed with liquid pepper before driving them on high road
  9. Health stock depend on sweet and fresh water in the summer
  10. Prevent scab in sheep with an equal measure of well strained amurca (dregs of olive oil), water steeped in lupine, and lees (leftover yeast) of good wine. After shearing, anoint the flock with the mixture and allow them to sweat profusely 2-3 days, then dip them in the sea (or a mixture of salt water). Doing this they will suffer no scab. (this amurca, lupine water, and wine was also recommended as a moth proofing, relish for cattle, fertilizer, and for use as weevil kill on the threshing floor)
  11. Ox being sick – give him 1 raw egg and make him swallow. Next day make him drink from a wooden bowl a measure of wine in which has been scraped the head of an onion. Bothe ox and his attendant should do these things fasting and standing upright.
  12. There are additional crazy cures for dislocated bones, serpent bites, and such that i’ll just skip.

The END!

Check out the little book and a myriad of other Forgotten Books.

Recipes

Simple Meals

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Breakfast can be simple and cheap. Most of us eat too much anyway, so why not save money and cut back on food? Best choice is to eat unadulterated, local, healthy in small portions.

Depending on how hungry i am:

  • 1-2 okras
  • 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1-2 eggs
  • Salt and pepper to tasted
On very low heat, saute 1 or 2 sliced okra in 1/2 teaspoon olive oil.
  • After okra softened, add 1 or 2 eggs, salt if you like, and mix it all together. Cover and let set to desired doneness.
  • Ready to eat or ready to flip – your call. Shut off the heat and cover – remember cast iron holds heat a long time and will continue to cook long time after the burner or oven is turned off.
Recipes

Israeli Salad Decked Out!

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With mostly freshly picked home grown vegetables, I assembled Israeli Salad sans the peppers (my plants were started too late), then spruced it up a bit with sliced hard cooked eggs from my dear Welsummer ladies.  Had some mushrooms that needed using, so sliced a couple of those as well to add.

Israeli Salad with eggs

 

FAMILY, Recipes

Lumpia (Filipino Eggroll)

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This is my go to version of my own making.  However, be encouraged to try new and different flavors and ingredients.  Having an abundance of squash and cauliflower leaves/stalks, i decided to substitute.  To my pleasant surprise, substituting squash for carrots and cauliflower stalks and leaves for celery and onion is a hit and will be come a regular recipe for us.

Recipe Lumpia -Filipino Egg Roll

Lumpia (Filipino Eggroll)

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb ground beef
1 lb beef sausage
2 eggs
1 cup onions chopped
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1 cup finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons Liquid Aminos or
Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Thoroughly mix all ingredients, then place about ¼ to ½ cup of mix in a log shape on a prepared egg roll shell. Roll up properly and tightly, then fry in ½ inch of olive oil heated to a tick less than medium. For best browning do not overcrowd them. I cook 6 at a time in 12 inch skillet. Once lightly browned, turn over. Keep an eye on these, they need to be cooked through, but careful not to burn the shells. Drain on paper towels.

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An example of a departure from my standard recipe is using this gorgeous Squash Zucchino Rampicante.  I’ve grown a barrel of these and they are huge, so gotta start getting creative.

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Chopped up with an old cheapo food processor – look at the beautiful color of this winter squash.

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Had the leaves and stalk left over from eating cauliflower florets on salads.  I just save all this in a zippered plastic bag then use as soon as possible.

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I didn’t have any onions, but given that the leaves and stalk of a cauliflower has a slightly peppery taste i just added more of this to replace the onions.

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I use my Artisan Kitchenaid Mixer (5 quart) practically everyday.  Here mixing the 1 lb ground beef, 1 lbs home mad beef sausage, eggs, Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, veggies, and pepper well.  These mixers have come down in price substantially these past couple years.  

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Wei-Chuan is the brand of spring roll shells i use.  There may be others, but these have never disappointed.  I buy mine in bulk at a Chinese specialty store 1 1/2 hours away.  They freeze fine and last well over a year in deep freeze.

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1/4 to 1/3 cup of mixture on the shell.  

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Dab i bit of water on the tip and continue rolling up.  The water will help that loose end stick to the roll and stay together.

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Completed eggroll ready to cook.

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Here’s a pan of cooked on one side with half the rolls flipped to show difference.

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Ready to remove, drain, and let cool before biting in.

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Best served immediately and warm,  but these can be eaten cold too and are delicious for any meal.  We like LaChoy sweet and sour sauce as a condiment.

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Invariably there will be a bit of the lumpia meat/veggie mixture left over after i run out of the package of 25 eggroll shells.  Fry up as delicious healthy burgers.

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FAMILY, Recipes, Sheep

Only One Chop

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When you only have one chop and three people to feed; Cut the chop into 1/2 inch pieces, saute in butter or olive oil until done and tender.  Golden Circle Farms in Unionville, MO provided this lamb chop.

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Add to a chopped fresh green salad.  Mine here includes sliced boiled farm eggs, sliced mushrooms, sliced olives, and sunflower seeds.  Chopped nuts and shredded carrots  are tasty and healthful additions as well.

FAMILY, Recipes

Mashed “Potatoes”

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As I wind up the last day of my Wheat Belly 10-day detox, I’ll share another basic yet tasty recipe from Dr William Davis.

Mashed “Potatoes”     (makes 4 servings)

  1. 1 large head cauliflower
  2. 1/4 cup canned coconut milk (i use raw milk from grassfed cows)
  3. 2 tablespoons butter (from the same cows, but you could replace this with olive oil)
  4. 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  5. Ground black pepper to taste

Place a steamer basket in a large pot with 2″ of water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Place the cauliflower in the basket, cover, and steam for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender.

Remove from heat and drain.  In a blender, food processor, or food chopper, combine the cauliflower, milk, butter, salt, and pepper.  Blend or process until smooth

Per serving:  131 calories, 4 g protein, 11 g carbohydrates, 9 g total fat, 6 g saturated fat, 4 g fiber, 214 mg sodium.

Dr Davis provides these additional notes regarding this recipe:

Although not a grain, potatoes yield too many carbohydrates when cooked.  This is a problem in your 10-Day Detox because excessive carbohydrates turn off your capacity to lose weight by triggering blood sugar and insulin to high levels.  Rather than simply subtracting another common staple from your dinner table, here is a way to not just replace mashed potatoes, but to create something that tastes even better, but with none of the problems.  Replace butter with extra-virgin olive oil for a dairy-free version.

Here’s to feeling great!

tauna

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Wash a head of cauliflower.

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With a sharp knife, cut away the stem and leaves of the cauliflower head.

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Don’t throw away those leaves and stem!  Save them all for later chopping for soup, casserole, lumpia.  The leaves have a tangy, crisp taste.

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The recipe calls for separating into florets, but i really didn’t find that necessary.

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Place the steamer basket and cauliflower in pot for steaming.

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Cover and steam 15-20 minutes.  Oh good grief, i got myself in the lid.

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For my family, I cut the head in half because we just don’t need so much.  One half, i will save for later to serve with melted sharper cheddar over top.

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After the cauliflower has cooled slightly, I process the cauliflower in my ancient food processor and add the remaining ingredients.

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Mashed “potatoes”

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Served with fresh green salad mix and a grilled grassfed ground beef burger from our own herd. (this one is actually from that bull!)  And a small piece of Wheat Belly Herbed Focaccia bread.

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A couple days later, I was going to make soup, so i whirred up those leaves and stems.

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FAMILY, Recipes

Wheat Belly Pizza

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My version:

2 1/2 cup almond meal/flour

 

1/4 cup ground flaxseeds

1 teaspoon onion or garlic powder

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese – divided

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 large farm eggs

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup water (may not need this much)

8-10 ounces of grass finished ground beef or lamb or home made beef or lamb sausage

1 cup pizza sauce

Optional ingredients i usually add:  sliced black olives and sliced fresh mushrooms, extra cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°F .

Use a Ninja Blender (mine is called a Fit Blender i believe) or some other type.

In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, pumpkin, sesame flour, ground flax seed, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, onion powder, and sea salt.  Mix well.  Then i add the two large eggs, 1/4 cup olive oil, and the water.  Mix and combine thoroughly.

Butter a 10″ x 15″ pan (i use a stone jelly roll pan).  Place the dough on the pan, then spread the dough by hand.  You may have to keep your fingers wet using olive oil or water to keep it from sticking to your hands.

Bake for 20 minutes.

When you are ready, spread the pizza sauce, i sprinkle some Parmesan cheese if i have any, but usually i don’t, so i use some shredded raw cheddar or whatever i have on hand.  Then crumble the cooked meat on top of that followed by optional olives and/or fresh mushrooms.  Top with remaining mozzarella or other cheese.  Bake for another 12 minutes.

Cut into about 12 pieces; this is very filling.  One piece may fill you right up!

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Wheat Belly 10 day detox book

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